Means for laterally aligning tracks



Jan. 3, i BICK I MEANS FOR LATERALLY ALI GNING TRACKS Filed Dec. 2, 1964United States Patent 3,295,461 MEANS FOR LATERALLY ALIGNING TRACKSJoseph Anton Bick, Zurich, Switzerland, assignor, by

mesne assignments, to Messrs. Franz Plasser Bahnbaumaschinen, Vienna,Austria,

Filed Dec. 2, 1964, Ser. No. 415,332 Claims. (Cl. 104-8) The presentinvention relates to means for laterally aligning tracks comprising atleast one aligning tool which can be forced laterally against one of therails of the track and which is adjustable transversely to thelongitudinal track axis.

With the conventional devices of this design there always obtains thedanger that such a tool will produce a bulge in the rail by its memberexerting pressure against the said rail in the event that the latterexercises major resistance to a displacement in the horizontal plane,e.g. owing to the friction caused by the anchoring in the ballast. Suchdevices may deform the rail in an undesirable manner since they areforced against the rail to be laterally displaced only at a singlepoint. To the extent that such deformations are permanent, theyconstitute, owing to the discontinuity of the alignment, a considerabledanger to traffic; in so far as they are of an elastic nature, theyprevent a truly accurate correction of the alignment of the track in thelateral direction because the track placed in the precalculated positionwill forthwith elastically return to its original position.

The present invention eliminates this drawback and relates to means forlaterally aligning tracks having at least one aligning tool which can beforced against one of the rails of a track and which is adjustabletransversely to the longitudinal axis of the track, characterized by thefact that the aligning tool is provided with at least two membersexerting pressure which are spaced from each other in the longitudinaldirection of the track and which care designed to be forced against therail.

An embodiment is explained in greater detail in conjunction with FIGS. 1through 4 of the attached drawing in which:

FIGS. 1 and 2 are diagrammatic views of the mode of operation of theconventional device and, respectively, of the means according to thepresent invention;

FIG. 3 is a side view of a further embodiment of the present means; and

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal section of an embodiment of a pressure exertingmember in means according to -FIG. 3.

As seen in the operational diagram of FIG. 1, a device of theconventional type which acts on anly one point can only too easily causedeformation of the rail in the shape of a local bulge.

With the embodiment of the present invention according to FIG. 2, thisdanger is eliminated. The common holder 1 for the two members 3 exertingthe pressure in the direction of the arrow on the rail 2 is freelypivoted to a hinge 4 in the horizontal direction. The pressure exertedby the dressing tool via the axis of the pivot 4 in any manner anddirected transversely to the rail 2 in the direction of the arrow, bymeans of which the rail 2 and, along with it, the entire track is to belaterally displaced, is positively equally distributed between the twopoints of the rail 2 which the two members 3 exerting the pressureengage. The sufiiciently rigid rail 2 thus preserves its continuousalignment.

Owing to the fact that the pressure exerting members are located at amore or less wide distance from each other, the area of the railsubjected to the action of the dressing tool on both sides extendsbeyond the point that should be displaced into the precalculatedposition and the track can therefore not be overstressed and deformed atthis point.

itudinal direction of the rail are naturally possible. It

is of advantage to arrange these members on one or several adjustableholders since this will ensure an ade-' .quate and uniform distributionof the pressure exertedon the rail if, by way of example, the membersare arranged on either end of a holder which is freely swivelable in asubstantially horizontal plane about a hinge with a vertical pivotprovided substantially at the centre in the longitudinal direction.Thanks to this arrangement, both members will always become jointlyoperative, thus eflE'lciently dividing the pressure exerted.

The members exerting the pressure may also be arranged so as to beadjustable in height so that they are placed into operative positiononly when required. This is of importance particularly when the aligningtools are arranged on a wheel frame and must be capable of beingtemporarily withdrawn into the frame when the machine moves from onepoint to another. By way of example, the members may then be arranged onthe .free ends of holders which are e.g. swivelably movable in thevertical direction about the wheel frame of an aligning machine or thelike.

FIG. 3 is a lateral view of an arrangement in which the members exertingthe pressure visible in greater detail also in FIG. 4 comprise a block 6formed of wood, plastic or some other suitable material supported in aholder 5, the said block resting against an elastic insert 7 formed ofhard rubber or the like on the inside of the said holder 5. The saidmembers are arranged at both ends of holders 8 which are pivoted tohinges 9 so as to be swivelable in the vertical plane and can becontrolled by the device comprising the cylinders 10, the pistons 11 andthe piston-rods 12 in order to place the pressure exerting members intooperative or inoperative position. In their position of rest, they arelocated within the wheel frame.

The device according to FIGS. 3 and 4 is mounted on the wheel frame 17of a rail aligning machine; the sup porting frame 13 for the aligningtools and their swivelling device itself may be pivoted to a hinge 14.Outward or inward movement of the hinge bolt 15 of this supporting frame13 by means of an adjusting device of any suitable kind (not shown)positively moves the pressure exerting members in a direction transverseto the longitudinal axis of the track and operates so that they canlaterally displace the rails 2 by the desired amount including thetransverse ties 16 attached to them.

If the rail aligning machine of whose wheel frame only the portion 17accommodating the hinge 14 is shown in FIG. 3 is driven to a new site,the holders 8 of the pressure exerting members may be swung up andplaced inside the frame.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for laterally aligning rails which comprises :at least onealigning tool which, in use, is forced laterally against only one of therails of a track, said aligning tool being provided with at least twolongitudinally spaced pressure exerting members, and wherein saidpressure exerting members (3) .are attached to a common driver holder(1, 13) which is freely swivelable in a substantially horizontal planeabout a hinge (4) arranged substantially in the center of said holderfor carrying out simultaneously a lateral movement of the said spacedpressure exerting members (3) up to the said one rail (2) under theaction of a common power source and for distributing between the saidspaced members the pressure exerted on the said rail.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in Patented Jan. 3,1967 that the pressure exerting members are arranged for contacting arail at a stem portion between the foot and head of the rail (Figure 4).

3. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the pressureexerting members are provided with a.

block (6), preferably changeable, and made of a material which is nottoo hard but which is resistant to com-t pression. a

4. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in 4 1 ends of holderswhich are movable in a vertical plane, so as to be adjustable in height.

5. Apparatus according to clain1-4, characterized in that the holdersare arranged on the wheel frame of a ARTHUR L. LA POINT, PrimaryExaminer.

that the pressure exerting members are arranged on free 10 R A B RTSCAssistant Examiner.

1. APPARATUS FOR LATERALLY ALIGNING RAILS WHICH COMPRISES AT LEAST ONE ALIGNING TOOL WHICH, IN USE, IS FORCED LATERALLY AGAINST ONLY ONE OF THE RAILS OF A TRACK, SAID ALIGNING TOOL BEING PROVIDED WITH AT LEAST TWO LONGITUDINALLY SPACED PRESSURE EXERTING MEMBERS, AND WHEREIN SAID PRESSURE EXERTING MEMBERS (3) ARE ATTACHED TO A COMMON DRIVER HOLDER (1, 13) WHICH IS FREELY SWIVELABLE IN A SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL PLANE ABOUT A HINGE (4) ARRANGED SUBSTANTIALLY IN THE CENTER OF SAID HOLDER FOR CARRYING OUT SIMULTANEOUSLY A LATERAL MOVEMENT OF THE SAID SPACED PRESSURE EXERTING MEMBERS (3) UP TO THE SAID ONE RAIL (2) UNDER THE ACTION OF A COMMON POWER SOURCE AND FOR DISTRIBUTING BETWEEN THE SAID SPACED MEMBERS THE PRESSURE EXERTED ON THE SAID RAIL. 